Conventional tripods and supports for electronic devices, such as cameras, are bulky and require the user to remove the support from a storage bag, set the arrangement and then thread the support into the bottom of the camera to attach it to the tripod. The tripod is often bulky and takes up space in a user's pocket or backpack.
The modern tripod is comprised of legs, a central brace, a locking tripod head and a threaded mounting bolt. The mounting bolt engages a threaded socket in the body of a conventional camera. In general, the extensive time required to set up a support, such as a tripod, prior to use often limits the number of times the support is used. Most tripods also have collapsible legs, but the collapsed assembly is still somewhat bulky.
By contrast, modern cameras are digital and no longer constrained to the use of film for recording images. Film is bulky within a camera and its replacement by digital receivers and recorders allows for a miniaturization of cameras and their inclusion into other electronic devices. Digital camera assemblies can be found in cellular telephones and handheld personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), such as the BlackBerry®. Modern compact cameras can be very small in dimensions and very light in weight. The energy required to operate a digital receiver is far less than that needed to drive a film advance gear mechanism, and this further reduces battery weights, and thus the overall weight. Compact digital video recorders have likewise been miniaturized as they no longer require films, video tapes or bulky battery packs. Many video devices are now also included in other handheld electronic devices, such as cellular telephones.
While cameras are now compact and more ubiquitous, the basic camera tripod remains unchanged in shape or size. A modern compact electronic camera mounted on top of a conventional camera tripod for a photographic purpose is often miniscule in comparison to the tripod. Given that most tripods were designed to accommodate a large, somewhat weighty, camera that includes a reflex lens, gear mechanisms, film and batteries, and a secure body housing to enclose them, the reduced size of the compact camera recommends a correspondingly smaller and simpler mounting flexible base.
By way of background, compact electronic devices generally include non-camera devices, including flashlights, laser pointers, virtual displays and Ground Positioning Satellite (GPS) devices, and devices that combine these various features/functions.
The volumetric and weight reductions of the compact electronic camera make it easier to carry a camera. Most compact electronic cameras or devices containing cameras can now fit into a small pocket or bag. By contrast, even the smallest tripod is still to large and bulky to fit into an ordinary pocket or small bag.
It would therefore be desirable for the electronic device support to be significantly more compact, quick to connect and quick to set up without the bulk of a conventional tripod.